Books like Framed!

If you liked Framed!, read Closed for the Season, Skeleton Creek, or Tarot Says Beware — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Looking for books like Framed! by James Ponti (Mystery · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of united states, art thefts, and friendship. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

10 books similar to Framed!

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Why each is a match

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Closed for the Seasongrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Skeleton Creekgrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon →
Tarot Says Bewaregrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon →
The Name of the Game Was Murdergrades 3–8
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon →
Swindlegrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
Three Times Luckygrades 4–7
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–7). Amazon →
A Boy Named Queengrades 3–8
Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon →
Alvin's Swap Shopgrades 4–6
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon →
Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detectivegrades 3–6
Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →
Nightmare Mountaingrades 3–6
Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon →

Books like Framed! for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

  • Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • Dog Man by Dav Pilkey · 390L — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • Real Friends by Shannon Hale · grades 2–8 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–8).
  • The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths · 560L — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (2–5).
  • The Apothecary by Maile Meloy · grades 2–8 — Same genre (Mystery), overlapping grades (2–8), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Framed! for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of united states and friendship and overlapping grades (4–8).
  • Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Smile by Raina Telgemeier · 410L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8).
  • Something Big Has Been Here by Jack Prelutsky · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–5).

Books like Framed! for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper · 700L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–7).
  • Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of united states and friendship and overlapping grades (4–8).
  • Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech · grades 3–8 — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (3–8).
  • Smile by Raina Telgemeier · 410L — Shares themes of friendship, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and overlapping grades (4–8).
  • Terror at the Zoo by Peg Kehret · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6).

Books like Framed! for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

  • The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of friendship and same genre (Mystery).
  • Under the Surface by Diana Urban · grades 7–12 — Shares themes of friendship, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (7–12).
  • Drama by Raina Telgemeier · grades 5–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (5–9).
  • Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (6–9).
  • Posted by John David Anderson · grades 6–9 — Shares themes of friendship and overlapping grades (6–9).

Book data last updated 2026-07-07. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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